Conventional methods employed to apply or mold silicone onto preformed objects encounter several problems. One such problem is the requirement to have an external heat source to help cure a layer of silicone foam to fabric as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,227. Other problems evident when using conventional methods include the need to use of a layer of cement to attach the sealing silicone material to an object to be covered as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,747.
There are also conventional methods for producing a silicone foam backed plastic film or metal foil to product a flame-retardant material as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,567. However, the 567 Patent flame retardant material is not described or disclosed to be used to transfer the silicone foam material to a separate object for providing a uniform layer of silicone foam to the separate object. Further, there are conventionally known compositions for producing a bondable and sealable silicone composition that can be used to seal or cover objects, such as the composition set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,974. The 974 Patent disclosed silicone foam composition that is heat resistant and which can be used for covering walls and overheads, or for making bodies from the claimed composition. Similarly, the silicone foam described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,940 is claimed to be directed to a foam that can be used to make heat shields by lining aluminum foil with the produced foam. The 947 Patent and 940 Patent do not explain or describe how to make a smooth layer of silicone foam or rubber surface with a specific design that is applied to a material resilient to silicone adhesion for later pressing the foam material against other objects for bonding the layer to the other object.
Additionally, conventional methods employed to mold silicone foam into large shapes encounter several problems. By using the disclosed method for coating objects with silicone a silicone skin layering process is described that includes applying pre-determined amounts of a silicone foam or rubber material into a detailing mold to produce an outer layer, and sealing and adhering the outer layer to an object to create a silicone skin layered object. The silicone skin layered object can be formed to have various shapes and sizes having a low density, uniform cell structure with a smooth outer skin.
It has been discovered in accordance with the invention described below that a low density, lightweight, buoyant, fire-resistant, non-toxic, non-acidic and non-corrosive alternative to plastics or polyurethane is presently available through the curing of silicone foam or silicone rubber and applying the curing silicone foam or silicone rubber to an object having a porous surface for applying the curing material to a separate preformed object for applying a uniform layer of silicone foam with designed characteristics for texture or other physical characteristics.